


come on sweetheart

by chumpi



Category: Dumplin' (2018), Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Break Up, Caring Josh Dun, Depressed Tyler Joseph, F/M, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Protective Josh Dun, Rejection, Sad Tyler Joseph, Suicidal Tyler Joseph, Suicide Attempt, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-21 12:50:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17044067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chumpi/pseuds/chumpi
Summary: “I like you, Tyler.”Tyler shakes his head, there are tears streaming down his rosy cheeks and he turns to look at Josh, throwing his arms out in exasperation, “Why?”“Why what?” Josh answers, confusion clouding his soft, brown eyes that Tyler feels he could get lost in for hours on end.“What about Debby?”





	come on sweetheart

Tyler rakes a hand down his face, his apron is still tied around his thin waste and his chest feels as if it’s slowly filling with lead as he tries to rake in another breath, he can see Debby and Josh talking – the female is resting her elbows on the counter, holding her face in her dainty hand as she looks up at Josh, who, is staring down at her with a dopey (love struck?) smile. Tyler can’t take it anymore and turns away, his hand goes over his mouth and he rushes out to the back of the diner. He surges forwards, dragging a shaking hand through his thick mess of honey-brown hair and lets out a deep breath he didn’t even realise he’d been holding in. The air is thick like fog and he can’t breathe-

 

“Everything okay?” 

 

Tyler sighs at the sound of Josh’s quite obviously concerned voice, his eyes are filling with water and he tries to blink them away, but to no avail. He turns, and finds himself unable to look the other, red-headed boy in the eyes as he leans against the doorway. 

 

“Yeah.” He answers shortly, spinning back around, his hands digging into his sharp hip-bones. 

 

Josh pauses for a few silence-filled moments, before he speaks again, “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you give a one-word answer to anything.” He tries to joke, his voice light and it reminds Tyler of the angel cakes he used to bake with Josh when they were younger. 

 

Tyler tries to swallow down the thick lump in his throat to give Josh a proper response this time, but he can’t bring himself to and hums in agreement instead. 

 

“All right, look.” Josh says finally, and approaches Tyler from behind, the sound of his footsteps growing closer and Tyler sucks in a deep breath as he looks towards the blue sky. “You’ve been kind of hard to pin down, so I’m just gonna tell you.” Josh continues, stopping a few feet behind Tyler. 

 

“I like you, Tyler.” 

 

Tyler shakes his head, there are tears streaming down his rosy cheeks and he turns to look at Josh, throwing his arms out in exasperation, “Why?” 

 

“Why what?” Josh answers, confusion clouding his soft, brown eyes that Tyler feels he could get lost in for hours on end. 

 

“What about Debby?” Tyler chokes out, trying his best to keep his composure, although it’s hard when all he wants to do is for Josh to hold him tight and whisper sweet nothings into his ear, to reassure him that everything was going to be okay now. 

 

Josh frowns, and shakes his head gently, “Debby? What about Debby? She asked me to a dance? That’s it.” He huffs, and Tyler can sense that Josh is getting more and more irritated by the whole situation with every ticking second. “And I didn’t go,” he adds, “I don’t like Debby like that.” Josh finishes and half-heartedly glares at the smaller boy who’s shaking where he stands.

 

Tyler takes a step back. “I don’t.. I-I don’t understand.” 

 

“Well..” Josh starts, “It’s pretty simple.” 

 

“No, it’s not, ‘cause you and I.. we don’t work together in the real world, Josh.” Tyler rakes a hand down his face and bites back a sob, “You’re supposed to be with someone like Debby.” He claims, refusing to meet Josh’s eye once again. 

 

The red-headed boy shakes his head in disbelief, letting his arms hang loosely at his sides, “What are you talking about?” 

 

“Oh my God-“ Tyler clenches his fists, wiping away at the tears sliding down his cheeks. “I’m talking about this!” He gestures up and down at his own body, his bruised knuckles and bitten nails; gestures at his deep under-eye bags and hollow cheeks, to his blood-shot eyes, and pale complexion. “How are you missing this?” He croaks, the way his own voice breaks at the end makes him want to curl up in a ball and hide, but he knows he can’t – shouldn’t, at least. “Do you not know what it would be like to be with me?” He questions, his voice quieting down to almost a whisper.

 

Josh smiles slightly, but it’s sad and exhausted, “Never took you for the type that cares much what people think.” He answers solemnly. 

 

Tyler takes another step back, clenching his hands into tight fists, and biting harshly at his bottom lip as he shakes his head, “I can’t, Josh. And that might make me a coward but I-“   
Before Tyler can continue, the other boy cuts him off, “It does.” Josh takes a step forward, almost crowding into Tyler’s space, “Tyler Robert Joseph- I think you’re beautiful, and to hell with anyone else who’s ever made you feel less than just that.” 

 

Tyler feels as if no air is getting to his lungs, his throat is clogging up on him and he can’t respond. A heavy silence falls over the pair and Josh sighs, deep and sorrowful. “Doesn’t really matter what I think, does it?” He shakes his head and doesn’t say anything else, turning around and striding back into the diner, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides and his shoulders are hunched forwards, he’s radiating anger and Tyler, as much as he desperately wants to, can’t bring himself to chase after the other boy. He wipes a hand across the tears collecting under his eyes and sprints off, leaving his apron discarded on the ground. 

 

His momma is nowhere in sight as he reaches the trailer, her ‘gang’ jacket is gone from its prized perch and he assumes that she’s out doing business (drug dealing and getting into meaningless fights) but he can’t bring himself to care as he heads straight to his bed, curling up under the thick covers and biting back thick sobs as he wills himself to sleep. 

 

Tyler hadn’t expected Josh to actually go back and accept Debby’s proposition for the dance, but here he stands, watching the pair walk out into the dance floor, hand in hand. 

 

Debby’s arms slip up around Josh’s shoulders and the boys’ hands snake around her dainty waist. Tyler wishes it was him up there, resting his head on Josh’s shoulder as he held him close and pressed kisses to his hair. He wishes and wishes and barely notices when his glass of spiked punch is falling from his shaking hands and smashing against the floor. 

 

His peers around him look at him with a shocked expression, but all he can focus in on is how Josh is leaning in forwards towards Debby, then their lips are touching and he takes a step – a stumble – backwards, his hands catch of the table and it crashes down, spilling food and drink right onto the floor. Tyler jumps, the music stops and a collective group of gasps sounds around the room, his cheeks are flushed bright red and he feels _mortified._

 

“Trailer trash scum ruining everything again!” A voice calls out, and Tyler’s heart nearly stops. There’s bile rising in his throat and he looks over to Josh for some help, his eyes pleading, but the other boy refuses to meet his shocked gaze, and Tyler sprints out of there, tears cascading down his cheeks. 

 

He can’t believe Josh had done this to him, they were meant to be best friends forever, but clearly that had meant nothing to Josh at this point in time.

**Author's Note:**

> *** all dialogue credit goes to a scene from the movie "Dumplin'"


End file.
